Persona: The Phantom Masquerade.

"You know… it's been some time, hasn't it?" Ren asked, his gaze drifting to Sojiro, who was meticulously cleaning the café's counter.

Sojiro, his brow furrowing slightly, glanced over at Ren, who was idly toying with a pair of chopsticks while waiting for Futaba. He was wearing a simple black yukata for the festival.

"What're you talking about?" Sojiro replied, a hint of curiosity in his voice. He poured himself a cup of freshly brewed coffee and settled into the seat beside Ren.

Spinning the chopsticks a few more times until he dropped them, Ren turned to look at Sojiro.

"Been a while since we last got to hang out." Ren answered. "Who knows, if I go long enough without a lesson, I might become a troublemaker."

Sojiro chuckled, shaking his head.

"Here's a lesson: take an umbrella with you. It's supposed to rain. You don't want to get a cold before your summer break." Sojiro answered.

"Any plans for the fireworks festival? Don't tell me the famous Casanova is gonna spend the festival alone?" Ren joked, causing him to give him a wry smile as he sipped his coffee.

"You know… I think I will. If traffic weren't so bad, I would maybe go out for a bit, but I am too old to sit in that damn car all night." Sojiro joked back.

The answer was simple, yet judging by the faint smile on Sojiro's face, he was more than happy to enjoy the quiet night. 

"As weird as it feels to have an empty house, I am glad Futaba is finally coming out of her shell. Thanks for watching over her today." Sojiro thanked him as he removed his glasses and laid them on the table. 

There was a moment of comfortable silence before Ren turned and asked.

"What ended up happening with Futaba's uncle?" They had changed his heart, but unlike what he had expected, he hadn't stopped by the store to try to apologize.

Sojiro let out a tired sigh as he rubbed his eyes as if trying to cure a headache.

"That…" Sojiro muttered, thinking for a few moments before continuing. "Is a mess."

Sojiro tapped the desk a few times as he finished gathering his thoughts.

"He sent me a letter a few weeks back. He said all sorts of things in it. But honestly, it's probably just another scheme to get more money. I haven't heard from him since, but that's for the best." Sojiro continued, shaking his head a few more times to himself.

"Here's another lesson, kid. Some bonds, once broken, can never heal. Futaba's family has been trying to reach out to her and me recently, but she has refused to even read their letters." Sojiro muttered, being interrupted as Futaba burst in through the door wearing a frown and a yukata with Mona next to her.

"Ren, tell Mona to stop annoying me. He's being mean." Futaba complained as she walked in. Mona only rolled his eyes as he found Ren's backpack and jumped in.

"She was going to bring that hideous mask—" Mona said only to be interrupted by Futaba.

"He dropped my mask from my shelf and now it has a crack in it! I wasn't even going to use it for real! I was just joking. And even if I wasn't, it's going to be hella crowded over there. I need some personal space."

Sojiro smiled as he saw Futaba scoop up Morgana from the backpack and hold him up to Ren as if waiting for him to punish him.

"You know… maybe it's for the best." Sojiro commented as he stood up and patted Ren's back. "There you go, that should last you a few more months.

Chuckling to himself, he gently petted Mona before ruffling Futaba's hair and walking out.

"Remember the umbrellas, and don't forget to lock up before you leave!" Those were the last words he said as he finally left the cafe, leaving a slightly confused Futaba.

"What was that about?" She asked, finally letting go of Mona.

"Who knows?" Ren answered with a slight chuckle as he grabbed the umbrella and spun it a few times in his hand. "We better head out; otherwise, we'll be the last ones there."

— — —

Ren and Futaba arrived at the park, the night air buzzing with excitement as people gathered for the fireworks festival. The sky was already starting to darken, and lanterns cast a warm glow over the crowd. 

"There they are!" Ann called out, her face lighting up as she waved enthusiastically. She was wearing a vibrant yukata, her usual bubbly energy even more contagious tonight.

Running through the crowd, she met up with Ren, crashing into a hug and enjoying it for a few moments before pulling back.

"Takemi had to call it off because someone was messing with fireworks and got hurt, so she had to make an emergency call. She said she would watch them from her clinic." Ann told him as they met up with the rest.

Ryuji, who was sitting on the grass drinking a soda smiled as he saw them.

"Took your time, didn't you?" Ryuji joked as he waved. "But damn, now I am gonna look bad being the only one in my regular clothes. Even Yusuke is wearing a yukata today, and all we are doing is sitting in a park."

Yusuke had been tapping a small notebook with his pencil before being snapped out of it by Ryuji calling out his name.

"Ah, hello. I am glad to see that you are also partaking in the celebration. I was hoping to use the fireworks as inspiration, but it seems I am in a bit of a slump at the moment." 

Yusuke spoke, placing down the empty notebook.

It didn't take long for Shiho, Makoto, and Kasumi to join, each wearing a simple yet elegant yukata.

"Hello! Thanks for having me!" Kasumi greeted everyone with a bow, her smile bright and infectious, radiating warmth and excitement.

"Nah, don't worry about it. It's neat having another person join the group." Ryuji answered before a slight grin appeared on his face, only for Mona to pull his head out of Ren's bag and glare at him.

"Don't even think about it." Mona hissed at him.

Ryuji's smile disappeared as he turned to Mona with a confused expression.

"Huh? What are you— oh no, no, I wasn't gonna—" Ryuji began, stumbling over his words only for Mona to interrupt him.

"You were going to ask her about the Phantom Thieves, weren't you? That's just going to make her suspicious." Mona explained, leaving Ryuji absolutely dumbfounded.

"How the eff' did he know what I was going to ask?" Ryuji asked.

"Thief's intuition." Mona answered, causing everyone around to chuckle slightly.

Kasumi looked at the group with confusion since she couldn't understand Morgana before smiling and laughing on her own.

"I'm guessing it's some sort of inside joke, right?" She asked.

"Something like that." Makoto answered with a smile. "Just ignore it."

Kasumi nodded, her smile broadening as she began introducing herself to the rest of the group. The atmosphere was light and welcoming, and before long, she found herself scooping Morgana up into her arms, gently stroking his fur. Morgana, much to his own surprise, allowed it, leaning into her touch with a contented purr.

As everyone settled down on the soft grass in the middle of the park, they soaked in the sights and sounds of the festival around them. The first firework shot into the sky, erupting in a cascade of colors that painted the night in vibrant hues.

"Woah…" They all muttered in unison, captivated by the display.

"Even though it happens every year, I can never get over it." Makoto mumbled softly as she turned to look at Ren.

"You know… it makes me wonder how it looks over there…" Ren muttered. "It's a happy day, isn't it? Do you think it would be brighter? Are the 'locals' less aggressive? What does a day like this mean over there… what about Christmas? New years? Halloween?"

He couldn't help but wonder as he looked at the fireworks, his mind entirely focused on the possibilities even amongst the celebrations.

He heard some soft chuckling as he turned to look at Makoto.

"You really ought to live in the moment for a bit." She advised, turning her head to look at the sky. "But you are right… it's fascinating, isn't it?"

Soon, another firework exploded, followed by another and another, each more dazzling than the last. But as the colors blossomed in the sky, small droplets of rain began to fall, unnoticed at first but quickly becoming stronger.

"There it is…" Ren muttered, spinning his umbrella open with a practiced flick of his wrist. As he looked around, he realized that only Kasumi and Makoto had brought umbrellas with them.

Sighing quietly, he passed off his umbrella to Shiho.

"Tsk tsk, what would you do without me?" Ren joked, with Shiho rolling her eyes as she raised it over herself and Ann.

"Hmm…. how about we don't find out? I like my umbrella holder." Shiho joked.

Makoto swiftly moved to shield Futaba with her umbrella, her protective instincts kicking in as the rain began to fall more steadily. Kasumi, meanwhile, offered the free spot next to her to either Ren or Yusuke.

"I swear it said it wasn't supposed to rain today." Ryuji complained, his voice tinged with frustration as he performed a few quick stretches, hastily packing up the belongings he had brought.

Looking up at the sky for a few seconds, he smiled before continuing.

"Eff it. Imma run to the 7-Eleven in Shibuya," Ryuji shouted, his voice filled with a sudden burst of energy. "I'll race you all there! Betcha I can make it before the rain gets bad!" And with that, he took off, sprinting with all the speed he could muster, his laughter echoing behind him.

Yusuke scrambled to gather his drawing supplies, carefully protecting them from the rain before huddling next to Kasumi under her umbrella. Leaving Ren standing to the side as the rain began to soak his clothes.

"Come on, you can squish between us. There's room." Ann offered, clearly worried for him. 

Ren moved closer before freezing, hearing a familiar melody in the air. The song was soft, comforting, warm yet cold. A song meant to comfort the soul, the song that was sung every time he awoke in the Velvet Room. 

It was as if the mysterious singer had finally stepped out into the real world, yet as he listened closer, he noticed that whoever sung it was different. The song carried within it a sadness he couldn't quite understand.

"Huh?" Ren muttered, looking around the park in slight confusion.

Countless people ran around the park, searching for a place to hide from the rain. Yet, as they moved, it was as if no one else could hear the song.

"Ren?" Ann's voice cut through the haze, bringing him back to the present. She looked at him with a mix of concern and curiosity. "Are you ok?" 

Turning back to her, a soft smile appeared on his lips as he spoke.

"There's something I need to check… It has to do with the…" Ren began, leaning in so that Kasumi wouldn't overhear them. "The Velvet Room."

Ann's eyes widened in understanding, a flash of worry crossing her features.

"Do you want us to come?" She asked before he shook his head.

"No, all of you find a dry place. I'll be there in a second." Ren answered, giving the rest of the Thieves a nod before looking at Kasumi and waving at her. "Thanks for joining us, but I gotta run. I forgot something, and the rain just reminded me of it. Feel free to swing by Leblanc. The coffee's great, and the curry is better."

The Thieves all gave concerned looks at Ren, but after exchanging glances with each other, they all played along.

Even as the rain got stronger and stronger, he continued to follow the melody through the newly empty park. Even through the heavy sound of the rain, the song remained as clear as if it was next to him, and the next moment, he saw her.

Walking through the rain at an unhurried pace and moving as if in a dance, he saw Elizabeth. The song appeared to be coming from her, even without her moving her mouth., Yet, as her eyes snapped open to look at him, the music stopped.

"Ah, hello there, Fool." Elizabeth greeted. "I am afraid that the time for our lesson has not yet arrived."

With a smile, she began to wander to the nearest bench, sitting down under the rain.

"Where did the song go?" Ren asked as he sat beside her, causing her to chuckle.

"Ah, so that's how you found me. You can hear it, too." Elizabeth answered, a large smile appearing on her face. "Though I guess I shouldn't be surprised."

Ren raised an eyebrow.

"What is that supposed to mean?" He asked, yet just as he had expected, he didn't get a clear answer.

"It means the song works." She answered, closing her eyes under the rain.

They sat in silence for some time, the only sound between them being the rain's steady rhythm. He had countless questions, but seeing her so calm, he hesitated. After a few more moments, he finally spoke up again.

"Why are you here? Wouldn't it be better to find somewhere dry?"

Elizabeth opened her eyes, glancing at him with a soft smile. 

"I enjoy the rain. And it is not as if the likes of us can get sick. You should enjoy it, too. It won't last long." 

Following her advice, he closed his eyes again, trying his best to relax before the familiar song began once again. Neither spoke up for a few minutes, and just like she had predicted, the rain began to calm down.

"Fool, no, Ren…" Elizabeth corrected herself as she stood up. "I am glad we crossed paths today. Believe it or not, you were of help to me. I will see you again once the time is right."

She prepared to walk away before stopping in her tracks.

"Well, maybe I should give you something as thanks." She mused to herself as she turned around. "Tell me, what Arcana do I represent to you?"

Ren stared at her for a few moments, looking at the floating card above her before finally answering.

"The Moon."

The answer made her freeze for a moment before she burst into laughter.

"Ah, that's quite ironic, isn't it?" She asked aloud, her laughter fading into a gentle smile that held a touch of amusement. "Though maybe I shouldn't be surprised."

She paced back and forth for a few seconds, lost in thought, before nodding to herself.

"I've been wandering around for some time, and while I was away, some things have changed." She began, lowering her voice as if whispering a secret. "The young kid, Jose, you'd do well to get close to him." 

She smiled to herself, nodding her head before giving her final words.

"I will see you when the time is right, Ren."

Turning around, she began to walk away, humming a song to herself.

Ren sat on the wet bench momentarily, taking in the words before standing up and going to the Thieves.

~Confidants~

Sojiro Sakura (The Hierophant) Rank 6

Elizabeth (The Moon) Rank 2